Their view: Search for justice vital in prison-sex case

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Your view: Family values key to fighting addiction, violence

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Tax payments and meter fees boosted revenue for the city in February, and a draft of the monthly financial report looked similar to last year&#8217;s, city Administrator Ted Wampole said.</p><p>The report released Friday by the city showed a positive balance of $5.79 million, $744,361 more than in February 2017.</p><p>Expenses as of Feb. 28 this year totaled $5.33 million compared to $11.12 million in revenue, according to the report.</p><p>&#8220;Nothing stood out. A lot of it was comparable to last year,&#8221; Wampole said.</p><p>The city is operating on a $49.46 million general fund budget that does not contain a property tax hike. Mayor Tony George raised service fees for garbage and parking and froze wages for most employees to balance the spending plan.</p><p>Each year, the city takes out a $3 million tax anticipation note to carry it through the first few months until revenues pick up. The TAN is paid by the end of the year.</p><p>Property taxes brought in $4.59 million in the first two months of the year. The total is $1.56 million ahead of what was collected during the same period in 2017.</p><p>&#8220;It could be a timing issue&#8221; because the tax bills were sent out earlier this year, Wampole said.</p><p>Earned income tax revenue also was up &#8212; $2.9 million compared to $2.81 million in 2017, according to the report.</p><p>The sale of garbage bags generated $96,740, more than double the $47,962 revenue from a year ago. But the price of the bags, large and small, was increased by 60 cents this year to raise an additional $430,000 in revenue and $1.63 million overall.</p><p>&#8220;The parking meter revenue is up,&#8221; Wampole added. The hourly rate doubled to $2 in this year&#8217;s budget with the aim of generating $475,000 more for the city. Meter fees are budgeted at $1 million.</p><p>The February report listed $102,240 in revenue from meters, a 31 percent increase from the $77,690 generated a year ago.</p><p>&#8220;I think that&#8217;s trending in the direction we thought it would,&#8221; Wampole said.</p><p>The administration continues to keep an eye on overtime costs to control departmental spending.</p><p>Overtime for snow and ice removal for the Department of Public Works was $30,541, or 61 percent of the $50,000 budgeted for the year. Double time reached $11,469, or 76 percent of the $15,000 budgeted.</p><p>&#8220;A lot of these storms have been small ones where we keep calling the guys out,&#8221; said Wampole.</p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jerry Lynott</p><p>jlynott@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @TLJerryLynott.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Wilkes-Barre tax revenue higher through February compared to 2017